Raise your water glass

It's not quite holy water, but it's close.

Turns out, the best-tasting drinking water in Florida is from Ave Maria, the new town in eastern Collier County that is home to the Catholic university by the same name.

Ave Maria Utility Co. recently won the American Water Works Association's best-tasting drinking water contest for the state of Florida. This is the second time the utility has won the statewide award, beating out fine water from areas such as Dunedin and Sarasota.

The science behind drinking water is what makes it taste so great, according to the Ave Maria water plant's operator, CH2M Hill. Water drawn from the Lower Tamiami aquifer is softened through a process called “nanofiltration.”

Evian and Perrier be warned: The Ave Maria water will now compete in June for the national title of best drinking water in the country.

We'll drink to that.